Meet our Extreme Rules 2018 Predictors:
Simon Cotton – Sportskeeda Analyst and co-host of the “What You Mean?” Podcast on the Social Suplex Podcast Network.
Tom Gambardella – Social Suplex’s NXT reviewer.
Caleb Baldwin – Social Suplex’s Impact Wrestling reviewer.
Jeremy Donovan – Editor-in-Chief for Social Suplex and co-host of Keepin’ It Strong Style on the Social Suplex Podcast Network.
Rich Latta – Columnist for Lords of Pain and Social Suplex, and host of One Nation Radio on the Social Suplex Podcast Network.
Brian “Clive” Kinsella – Social Suplex’s 205 Live Reviewer and co-host of the Ricky & Clive Wrestling Show on the Social Suplex Podcast Network.
The Real “Perfect 10” Ricky – Co-host of the Ricky & Clive Wrestling Show on the Social Suplex Podcast Network.
Robb Gatts – The most reckless Social Suplex columnist.
The New Day vs. SAnitY (Tables Match) (Extreme Rules Kickoff)
Simon: Sanity just got here and The New Day hasn’t had much going tag wise. Sanity will go over. Pick: Sanity
Tom: Pre-show new day is like playoff Rondo. They were gonna tear the house down with Sanity regardless of what happened, but now that it’s on the pre-show? Forget about it. Even if it’s a tables match, the most clunky and hard to execute matches, forget about it. Sanity goes over after Nikki cross debuts to interfere. Pick: Sanity
Caleb: Sanity just debuted last month, so I expect them to win here over New Day. Pick: Sanity
Jeremy: They’ve really dropped the ball with the debut of Sanity. Sanity really needs a win here. Pick: Sanity
Rich: Pick: Sanity
Brian (Clive): Could be fun. Rather this was on the main card. Sanity to win. Pick: Sanity
Ricky: If Sanity is to be taken seriously and seen as a credible threat to the tag team division then they must win this match. They cannot lose their 1st meaningful match on the main roster. Pick: Sanity
Robb: What? How did this? You know what… Pick: Sanity
Finn Bálor vs. “Constable” Baron Corbin
Simon: This is one of those “we made the PPVs four hours, so we need to add something” matches. If it meant The Demon comes back, I’d love for Corbin to win. Sadly, smiley Finn Bálor is here to stay. Pick: Finn Bálor
Tom: Finn really should win here, but WWE somehow still see something in “Constable” Baron “Walmart Corporate Kane” Corbin. I’m assuming Corbin wins and goes absolutely nowhere with this “Constable” thing. Pick: Baron Corbin
Caleb: Finn Balor has been treading water here, but I expect that to start changing at this show. Pick: Finn Bálor
Jeremy: Corbin has been getting the better of Finn the last few weeks in tag matches. I’m going to go with Finn winning with some kind of roll up. Pick: Finn Bálor
Rich: This has been better on Twitter than any of the programming. Corbin is terrible, and he can take a double foot stomp with him. Pick: Finn Bálor
Brian (Clive): Finn Balor to defeat the Constable! Pick: Finn Bálor
Ricky: Who cares really? Pick: Baron Corbin
Robb: Who cares? This build has been trash, but Finn is bulletproof. Expect the Constable to eek out a pinfall here. Pick: Baron Corbin
Raw Tag Team Champions “Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt vs. The B-Team
Simon: Braun Strowman and Nicholas ruined the Raw Tag Team Championships. Who cares anymore? Pick: Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Tom: I refuse to believe the B Team as credible tag team champs, but I do think they win here. WWE needs a transitional team to get AOP those belts, and I think the B team fit the bill. Pick: B Team
Caleb: The state of the RAW tag division is terrible. Current champs retain. Pick: Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Jeremy: The RAW tag team division is a hot mess right now. It will lose more credibility if you have two job guys get the belts. Pick: Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Rich: I only care about Wyatt facing off against Bo. Pick: Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Brian (Clive): The Deletion Warriors (or whatever they’re called for the win. Pick: Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Ricky: I’m a huge fan of The B Team, they’ve carved out a nice spot for themselves, but it’s too soon to take the titles from Bray & Matt. I can see them holding until Summerslam before eventually splitting up. Pick: Woken” Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt
Robb: The B-Team’s Cinderella story comes to an end. Bonus points if the champs turn heel.) Pick: B Team
SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella vs. Asuka (with James Ellsworth suspended above the ring in a Shark Cage)
Simon: Another strong contender for worst match of the night. Asuka will be sent even further down the card as WWE builds up Carmella…because reasons. Pick: Carmella
Tom: James Ellsworth is gonna be in a shark cage for this match (sure, why the hell not?), and in true WWE fashion I see the shark cage not doing its job…It pains me to say, but I think Carmella wins after some Ellsworth shenanigans. Pick: Carmella
Caleb: Asuka finally wins a title on the main roster and Carmella’s reign of mediocrity ends. Pick: Asuka
Jeremy: It’s hard to wrap my mind around the concept of one of the worst pro wrestlers in the world defeating one of the best pro wrestlers in the world. However, that’s the way WWE likes to book. Pick: Carmella
Rich: Who could really possibly give a f***? (Give me a loss for having to watch this Jeremy)
Brian (Clive): A shark cage match? Jesus.
Carmella will win and infuriate the masses in the process. Pick: Carmella
Ricky: So James Ellsworth will be in a shark cage above the ring! The sole purpose of that is to give the impression that Carmella is alone in this fight but Ellsworth will get involved, perhaps he’ll drop down a foreign object for Carmella to use and get the win. In these circumstances, Asuka cannot and should not win because it will create the idea that Carmella is only champion because of Ellsworth and it will cheapen her reign. Pick: Carmella
Robb: LOL CARMELLA WINS. Pick: Carmella
Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax (Extreme Rules Match)
Simon: My pick for worst match of the night. Their WrestleMania match being good was pure luck. As far as the winner goes, the reign of terra lives on through Alexa Bliss and they’re not about to stop it at a C-Level PPV. Pick: Alexa Bliss
Tom: apparently Ronda Rousey is gonna be sitting ringside for this match, so I’ll say this one goes to a no contest after Rousey lays out both Bliss & Jax. Pick: No Contest
Caleb: Alexa Bliss continues to reign as champion here, whether we want her to or not. Pick: Alexa Bliss
Jeremy: Ronda will be provoked and get involved in the match. I see her unintentionally costing Nia Jax the match. Setting up Ronda versus Bliss at Summerslam or maybe a three-way. Pick: Alexa Bliss
Rich: This shouldn’t even be happening again. I have PTSD from seeing Alexa with a kendo stick remembering how Bayley was ruined forever. Alexa wins. Alexa is Average. Ronda should beat her in 10 seconds when they wrestle. Pick: Alexa Bliss
Brian (Clive): Bliss to retain thanks to a kayfabe Ronda mishap. Pick: Alexa Bliss
Ricky: I’ve seen this match before and I didn’t like it, in fact, I hated it! The only intriguing aspect of this match is what will Ronda Rousey do? She may get involved after being provoked by Bliss costing Nia the title and we could be looking at Nia vs Ronda again who have unfinished business themselves. Pick: Alexa Bliss
Robb: LOL ALEXA WINS. Pick: Alexa Bliss
United States Champion Jeff Hardy vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Simon: Nakamura has been taking big Ls on the main roster and this heel turn needs to be given some validation at some point. Plus, Jeff doesn’t need the title anyway. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Tom: Apparently this was supposed to be a tv match before Nakamura got bitten by a police dog, I don’t see him winning the title here. Hardy goes over, and Andrade Cien Almas wins the US title at SummerSlam. Pick: Jeff Hardy
Caleb: Nakamura hasn’t won a PPV match since Fast Lane, well that streak will end here where he becomes US Champion. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Jeremy: I’m a huge Jeff Hardy mark, but he’s been looking rough in his recent performances. Give Nak the belt and give Jeff some time off to rest and make sure he is 100%. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Rich: The latest in “If Nakamura loses he should go back to New Japan.” Which should really be the case if he loses here. Jeff Hardy feels like a shell of himself. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Brian (Clive): Jeff Hardy is too banged up, Naka deserves a reward for his heel work. Naka to win. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Ricky: This match I’m excited for providing Nakamura doesn’t get bitten by a dog between now and Sunday. If Nakamura loses then where does he go? What purpose has he got? This is a big moment for Nakamura in the WWE and one that could determine how he’s viewed on Smackdown. Nakamura needs this, more than ever before. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Robb: After being buried, Nak needs this win. Jeff Hardy can afford to take a loss whenever, being the decorated vet he is. Expect Chaos Nakamura to finally have a main roster title reign. Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins (30-Minute WWE Iron Man Match)
Simon: Another Match of the night contender. Hoping for a loss for Rollins so he can win the world title from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Pick: Dolph Ziggler
Tom: My pipe dream is that Rollins loses here to set up Rollins vs Lesnar at SummerSlam, but Vince McMahon won’t let us have nice things so I think Rollins wins it back here to set up a rubber match at SummerSlam. Pick: Seth Rollins
Caleb: Ziggler retains here and Rollins eventually moves on to bigger, redder things. Pick: Dolph Ziggler
Jeremy: I really would like to see Seth Rollins in the Universal title picture at SummerSlam. But, I highly doubt we’ll see that. I’m expecting the great WWE hope to get his title back and defend against Drew at SummerSlam. Pick: Seth Rollins
Rich: The type of match between the type of wrestlers they are that hasn’t happened a lot this year. This should be great with the only factor being how they lay out the falls. Maybe they should go the whole 30 and do a sudden death overtime. Pick: Dolph Ziggler
Brian (Clive): I think this is a vehicle for Drew in the future, Dolph to retain. Pick: Dolph Ziggler
Ricky: Not only is this a match of the night candidate but this is a match of the year so far candidate. I expect Drew to get involved at some point costing Seth the title which opens the door for Dean Ambrose to return at some point and help Seth or a potential Shield reunion once again. Pick: Dolph Ziggler
Robb: Wishful thinking here, but Seth is going to need to be available either for the fire triple threat IC match with Drew involved, or the Universal title picture come Summerslam. Dolph takes it in a MOTY contender. Pick: Dolph Ziggler
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Team Hell No
Simon: This is a match no one asked for. Hopefully, it’s good. Pick: Bludgeon Brothers
Tom: I’m not sure what Kane’s situation is with running for mayor right now, but I can’t imagine he’s gonna have a ton of time to defend tag team belts once that picks up again. I’ll say bludgeon brothers win, but they leave the door open for a rematch. Pick: Bludgeon Brothers
Caleb: Time for the 2B reign of terror to end. Team Hell No wins here. Pick: Team Hell No
Jeremy: What a waste of Daniel Bryan. They need to let Bryan and Harper do a majority of the work in this match. Pick: Team Hell No
Rich: I hate the fact this match is happening. This should be Daniel Bryan vs Andrade Cien Almas, Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura or literally any other good wrestler that Bryan could face. But WWE hates us all and is reforming a Nostalgia act. Pick: Bludgeon Brothers
Brian (Clive): Team “NO THANKS!” will beat the Bludgeon Bros for a feel-good Bryan moment. Pick: Team Hell No
Ricky: I enjoyed seeing Team Hell No reunite but I think this will be a one-off before Daniel Bryan moves on to bigger things and also The Bludgeon Brothers were in need of new competition. Pick: Bludgeon Brothers
Robb: As much as I dig the Hell No Reunion (as compared to my peers), Bryan is simply in a holding position until bigger PPVs come around. A graceful defeat by the hands of the Brothers comes soon. Pick: Bludgeon Brothers
Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens (Steel Cage Match)
Simon: Despite his blatant heel tactics, Strowman will be cheered unanimously as he beats Kevin Owens senseless in the steel cage to keep that momentum for his cash-in…sorry KO. Pick: Braun Strowman
Tom: KO deserves better than what this feud has given him, but he sure isn’t gonna get it here. Braun wins after 5ish minutes of KO trying to run out of the cage. Remember how awesome “prize fighter” Kevin Owens was? Pick: Braun Strowman
Caleb: KO was DOA as soon as this feud started. Braun wins. Pick: Braun Strowman
Jeremy: Braun winning here seems too obvious. I’m expecting to see one of those screwy steel cage finishes similar to what we saw with Roman and Brock. Pick: Kevin Owens
Rich: Kevin Owens has literally been thrown in shit during this feud. He’s a former Universal Champion who’s been turned into a geek. I think he finds a way to escape the cage without pinning Strowman then gets destroyed afterward. Pick: Kevin Owens
Brian (Clive): KO might win this through very sneaky means. Pick: Kevin Owens
Ricky: I’m not a fan of Kevin Owens being in this situation, he is too good to be used this way. I’d like there to be less comedy and get these 2, specifically Owens, to the no-nonsense prizefighter. Pick: Kevin Owens
Robb: MITB winners tend to lose a lot, but this is Braun we’re talking about. Expect a mauling. Pick: Kevin Owens
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
Simon: This should be an all-out brawl to see who gets to challenge Lesnar. Instead, we’re getting a regular singles match that will continue Reigns’ streak of horrid matches since February… Oh, this will also be the main event because Roman is Cena and AJ Styles is CM Punk in 2012…praying that I’m wrong. Pick: Roman Reigns
Tom: dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same. Destiny is Roman Reigns pinning somebody after 1 spear regardless of how much offense he has taken throughout the match. Reigns goes over. Pick: Roman Reigns
Caleb: THE BIG DOG HUNTS and I really don’t care. Pick: Roman Reigns
Jeremy: Is it just me or are Roman and Bobby feuding over who is the least failed babyface? Based off of rumors for the Summerslam main event, I’m going with the Big Dog. Pick: Roman Reigns
Rich: WWE is setting this up to get highjacked if it goes on last. They are afraid to call it a #1 contenders match because fans are exhausted with Reigns/Lesnar. Our only hope is Lashley doesn’t use a chinlock the whole match and they empty the clip in a 10 min physical match. I’ll take Reigns. Pick: Roman Reigns
Brian (Clive): Why wasn’t this the feud for right after Greatest Royal Rumble? Great last couple of weeks. Hard to call, but Roman to win. Pick: Roman Reigns
Ricky: Number 1 contender match or not, whatever the future plans are for the number 1 contender spot, I don’t care just now because this match should be a hard-hitting affair. After what happened on Raw, it feels a little more personal now. Pick: Bobby Lashley
Robb: This feud is near pointless, as neither competitor has gained any heat until their tremendous brawl on the go home Raw. The Big Dog wins predictably, with a jump zone appearance by Brock for his troubles. Pick: Roman Reigns
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Rusev
Simon: This will be a fun match, maybe even match of the night. As cool as it would be to see Rusev win the title, this match has placeholder written all over it. Pick: AJ Styles
Tom: As much as I want the man who calls himself “rusev from rusev day” to be a world champion, I don’t see it happening here. Styles wins, and we move on to Styles vs Joe at SummerSlam. Pick: AJ Styles
Caleb: The Phenomenal One will do the unthinkable and beat Rusev on his own holiday. Pick: AJ Styles
Jeremy: I will be very surprised if WWE decides to switch the title here. Based off past booking I don’t think Vince really sees Rusev as a main event champion. It will be a very sad Rusev Day. Pick: AJ Styles
Rich: The WWE Title match that feels like it has NO CHANCE of closing the show. The second the video graphic appears for it 3rd from the top, the air will leave the building, but luckily these two guys will work really hard to get it back. I think we get a good to borderline great match with a motivated Rusev wanting to prove his main event chops. Pick: AJ Styles
Brian (Clive): One thing is certain this Sunday, and that it will not be Rusev Day. AJ to retain. Pick: AJ Styles
Ricky: Another potential match of the night and the intrigue for me is whether WWE will pull the trigger and capitalize on Rusevs popularity. It would be a big surprise if AJ does not retain but every day is Rusev Day! Pick: Rusev
Robb: Rusev Day is one of the hottest gimmicks in wrestling today, but WWE was slow on the trigger, especially placing Rusev in a face vs face match with Styles. The Phenomenal One to retain heading into Summerslam is my prediction. Pick: AJ Styles
